ordnance
ordnance Lexical Profile
ordnance Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Military supplies, including weapons, ammunition, combat vehicles, and maintenance equipment.
"Disposal specialists were called to safely clear the unexploded ordnance discovered at the construction site."
Mounted guns and heavy artillery, such as cannons and missile launchers.
"The historical museum features an outdoor display of 19th-century naval ordnance."
A branch of a government or armed force responsible for the procurement, storage, and distribution of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment.
"Following his engineering degree, he served as a logistics officer in the army's ordnance department."
Word Nuance & Usage
Frequently confused with its near-homophone 'ordinance' (with an 'i'); 'ordnance' refers to military weapons and ammunition, whereas 'ordinance' refers to a municipal law or decree.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Middle English, originally a syncopated variant of 'ordinance' derived from Old French 'ordenance' (an arrangement or order), from Latin 'ordinare' (to put in order); the spelling 'ordnance' became specialized for military supplies and artillery in the 16th century.